The Persistance of Memories
by MMaiden
Summary: An unexpected memory is pulled up while Luke and Lorelai clean out Lorelai's attic. Full Version now up. One Shot.


A/N: I know this took forever but here it is completely and wholly. Please enjoy and if you care to reread those who kept up with it through the process… there's been a few slight changes to the beginning. Also someone said it was a bit difficult to read because Lorelai wasn't what they were used to… I just wanted to say that that was intentional. The bulk of the story is them before Lorelai got pregnant, before she left everything for Stars Hollow… I think she was probably a different person then, more adjusted to that world then she probably would like to admit, still kind of struggling to be what her parents wanted her to be while becoming independent and finding her way. So I think I got her pretty much as fun loving as regular but more stuck up and more fitting to the Gilmore portrayal of that social class… I'm not sure if that makes sense but enjoy anyway. Review early, review often

Disclaimer: I don't own Gilmore girls. The characters aren't mine, the places… absolutely nothing Gilmore is mine. Only this story line

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Light streamed in from the small windows, seeming heavenly in the dark, dusty attic as Luke stepped in, sending little puffs of dust into the air as he walked around, trying to calculate how long this would take. "How long has it been since you've been in here again?" he asked, turning around to face Lorelai, who was standing in the door. "A really long time. Probably since we moved in." she replied, walking over to him. "So. Basically, you haven't touched any of this in eight years?" he said looking menacingly at the mounds of boxes. "Yup. That's about right. Probably a little longer actually." "Okay then. Where do we start?" "Over there?" she said walking over to a pile of boxes. "Just rip em open and start sorting I guess." She said, sort of kicking one over to the side for Luke to open. "Here goes nothing." He said taking out a pocketknife and slicing through the tape before handing it to Lorelai. "Oh the box cutter thingy!" she laughed, getting her the reward of one of Luke's patented eye rolls.

Box by box the two of them sorted through the never-ending pile of memories from Lorelai's past. Things she had taken from her parent's house, things she had picked up from the Independence Inn days, and some that she swore she had never seen before. They all appeared, stories being told as the items were pulled from their cardboard tombs and placed into various piles.

Hours after starting they were only half way through as the sun began to set and the work of the day began catching up.

"Okay that's it. I'm done. All I want right now is a long, hot shower, some coffee, and a nice juicy burger. Think you can take care of at least two of those?" she asked smiling innocently at Luke.

"Yeah. I can take care of dinner… hey. What's this?" he asked, holding up an old leather jacket.

Lorelai took it and thought for a minute until the memory visibly came to mind. "Yeah, I picked it up at a party when I was sixteen. Some guy I had never met before gave it to me and I forgot to give it back when I left. I'm not sure why I kept it, but here it is." She laughed, tossing it on a pile of boxes, away from the rest of the stuff. "Come on, let's call it a night." She said taking Luke's hand and giving it a little squeeze. "It's been a long day."

"Yeah alright." He replied, putting his arm around her and leading out of the attic, taking a glance at the discarded jacket over his shoulder.

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The bass sent a vibration throughout the house and on into the night as more and more cars pulled up the enormous Hartford mansion. Even the front lawn was crammed with people already and the night was young as far as this crowd was concerned.

What the hell am I doing here again? Luke asked himself as he was pulled into the house by Rachel. Her bright red hair disappeared around people as she weaved through the throng as gripping his hand firmly and leading him towards what was probably the dance floor. I hate these things even when I don't have to drive a long way to get to them. And Hartford? Whose fricken idea was this?

Suddenly the hard pulling stopped as she turned around. "What's wrong?" she asked innocently, her eyes pleading. Maybe if we leave now no one will have parked behind us and we can get out of this stupid place. "Look Rachel…" he began. "No Luke! You are not going to do this again!" she yelled over the roar, the plea and innocence in her eyes being replaced with annoyance and anger. "We aren't leaving this one just because you're uncomfortable at these things! I happen to like parties and I've left countless ones for you, so the least you can do is stay through one of them for me. Do you know how hard it was to get an invite? I'm not leaving! You've done this way too many times!"

Luke groaned. I need to remember never to date a party girl again he whined to himself "Fine if this is so important to you then you stay. I'm leaving. There are too many people, the music's too loud, and we don't even know any of these stupid rich kids! We're from Stars Hollow remember? That little town that could fit in just the entry way of this place?" He turned away and stormed off the way they had come, never glancing back. He knew that Rachel would be pissed but as well as he knew that he knew that she would probably come by the store in the morning and say she was out of line, and that he would forgive her and they would be Stars Hollow High's perfect couple once more. But for the time being all he was focused on was the doors, getting fresh air, driving home, and being mad himself.

When the vast frames finally appeared, it was all he could do to keep from sprinting towards them but he kept his cool and counted the steps left. "Butch! You made it!" Oh no. You have got to be kidding me!

He had made it, had one foot outside of the house, could see his truck clear to back out over the sea of inebriated high school students, could feel the night breeze trying to free him from the oppressive heat inside, and he had come all this way, just to be stopped a foot from freedom.

He turned around and flashed a fake smile at his buddies as Davis came behind him, followed of course by the rest of the Stars Hollow High group. "We heard you were going to show but wow to hear it and see it is two totally different things." He teased, the rest of the guys cutting off Luke's escape as they joined the friends "We saw Rachel a couple minutes ago, I think she was looking for you though she looked pretty pissed. Better not keep your lady waiting sire." He laughed, punching Luke's shoulder. "Well actually I was just about to leave…" Luke replied looking through the shoulders of his friends to see his car being effectively blocked off by a Porsche."… But hey since you're all here I guess I'll stay." He resigned himself. Last time I ever come to one of these stupid things. Great. And now I have to spend the night with an angry Rachel too, pretending that I wasn't about to just go and leave her here.

Tonight will be just wonderful. He groaned inwardly and moved back towards where he saw Rachel last, grabbing a drink off a table and draining it as he went.

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"Christopher!" Lorelai squealed as her boyfriend sharply sped onto the lawn, stopping barely soon enough to miss hitting some random truck. "No harm caused" he laughed, turning off the car and leaning in to kiss Lorelai long and hard.

"You know we should probably park somewhere else." She said pulling back laughing and looking around.

"Aww where's your sense of adventure Gilmore?" Chris said getting out.

"Oh, Mr. Hayden, I do believe my sense of adventure has been slowly beaten out of me since my day of birth, it's not big with Emily and Richard you know." She smiled as he walked around and opened her door.

"Never you Lorelai." Christopher whispered in her ear, pulling her up out of the Porsche and into another kiss.

"Lets go!" she laughed leaning back and swatting him playfully, starting off towards the house once she could duck around him. She grabbed her boyfriend's hand and tossed her hair back with a joyful laugh as they joined the party.

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He found Rachel in the middle of the dancing pack, completely surrounded. Luke took a place on the side, joining the ranks of antisocial boyfriends who looked like they'd prefer to be anywhere but here. _They probably got cut off by a Porsche too_ he grumbled, turning his gaze to his girlfriend.

Rachel danced for awhile before seeing him and then made her way over, looking amazing with her fiery red hair, and she knew it too. _Let the games begin_ he thought as she wrapped her arms around his neck and stared up at him

"My, look who decided to stay." She smiled, taking his hand and pulling him in, laughing a little as a fast song started up.

_This won't be so bad._ He tried to convince himself, getting a little into the dance. _Dance a little, eat a little, and maybe keep Rachel from getting herself completely drunk. Nothing terrible…_. _I mean it's just a party right?_ He looked around critically, pretending to enjoy himself, _right and hell is just a sauna._

A few songs later he dismissed himself to get something to drink and thankfully Rachel let him go, joining a group of friends. Luke shuddered and turned away as Carrie waved at him seductively, groaning he pushed his way out of the herd quickly. Checking over his shoulder to make sure she didn't follow.

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Christopher caught up and put his arm around her, kissing her as they walked. "Why Mr. Hayden I'm surprised at you. Kissing a girl in public! One might think you were happy! And we certainly can't have that." Lorelai laughed, smiling up at him when they broke apart.

They entered the hall and were instantly surrounded by familiar faces, people waving, glaring, and everything in between.

"I'm going to get something to drink." Lorelai said, taking Christopher's arm off her shoulder. "I'll find you in a minute." she smiled, walking away from him, searching for coolers.

Suddenly someone ran into her, knocking her off balance, sending her to the floor.

"Watch where you're going idiot!" she yelled, starting to get up. "I'm sorry!" the guy apologized, reaching down to help her. "Good" was her retort as she ignored his hand and pulled herself back up.

"A word from the wise, don't knock people over." She said turning to leave, catching his eyes for a second, beneath the visor of his baseball hat.

_Wow_ she breathed, stuck for a minute before noticing he was staring.

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"Woah" Luke whispered, stepping back, startled by the intensity of her eyes. He had just been about to yell or something. He couldn't remember what or why at the moment though, there was no reaching past the eyes. All he could suddenly think about was those eyes.

And then it was over. He suddenly snapped back into reality.

"Hello! Are you learning impaired or something?" she snapped at him. "Speak! Or at least take a picture buddy. It'll last a lot longer I'm sure."

"No I'm not learning impaired! I was just startled. No big deal." He growled, his annoyance returning.

_Stupid girl. She doesn't even know my name! Why the hell does she think it's all right to just talk to me like that? _

"Startled by what?" she asked, obviously thinking he was a moron. "And, by the way, if you're trying to pick me up and were planning on using the "you're radiant beauty" line, I've heard it a few too many times so it won't work. Though you already get creativity points for getting me to talk to you. Knocking me over hasn't occurred to anyone else yet." She added sarcastically.

He was pissed now.

"I wasn't going to say that!" He snapped. "You have some nerve. You know that? What even makes you think I wanted to talk to you in the first place? I don't know who the hell you are; have never seen you before in my life so I sure as hell couldn't have come up with some elaborate plot to pick you up even if I was interested! Which, by the way, I'm not." He finished, pushing past her and through the crowd.

_Stuck up little rich kids, they're all the same. All conceded brats. _He grumbled, almost trying to build his anger. _She actually thought I knocked her down on purpose? How pathetic is that. _But this wasn't the pure fury he knew he should have. It was completely synthetic and that only made him try harder.

He couldn't pull up the rage that usually came with people talking down to him and that right there was making it worse because as insulting as this girl had been, he couldn't find it in him to be mad at her. She was conceded obviously, probably vapid and shallow, everything he didn't want, yet he was strangely fascinated by her, felt some kind of connection… he grumbled again and grabbed a beer from somewhere, not really paying attention to where and chugged it down deciding to just forget it. _There wasn't a connection and she was just some spoiled princess. Nothing more to find out. _

And he almost convinced himself that that was the end of it.

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"It was just a joke." She said to herself, shaking her head, continuing on her quest for a beer.

_What a strange guy._ She thought slightly intrigued. _And those eyes. Wow._ But it wasn't so much his eyes she remembered as that little feeling she had gotten in that tiny moment… it had been there right? _Nah Lorelai, just your imagination. As the pig head pointed out you don't even know him. There wasn't a feeling. _She reasoned, finally finding the source of the drinks and grabbing one.

She set off to find Christopher, a task that proved harder then she expected because he was nowhere to be found. She stood at the edge of one of the rooms and spotted Nevina, waving her over.

"There you are!" her best friend squealed, "I saw Christopher but he said you had already ran off." Nevina laughed. "Do you know where he is now? I'm trying to find him." Lorelai asked. "Oh yeah. He went of that way" She replied, pointing down a hall. Lorelai nodded "Christopher really can't be left to his own devices too long." she laughed, "I better go find him and make sure his mind didn't wander in my absence."

She pushed her way to the hall and walked down it, kind of glancing into the open doors and then finally going into the room at the end. It turned out to just be a library, completely Christopherless. _Where the hell did he go? _She asked herself, and didn't have long to wait to have the answer.

An arm snaked around her from one of the rooms and pulled her in as she walked by and suddenly his mouth was on hers as he closed the door and pushed her against the wall.

"So this is where you got to." She laughed, turning her head so he kissed her neck.

He found her mouth again to shut up her up and kissed her forcefully, one hand going behind her head. He started rubbing her leg with the other as she braced herself on the wall with it.

"God I love you," he murmured, kissing her again.

_I love you too_. She tried to convince herself. But she couldn't bring the words to slip out for some reason. And that stupid guy kept crossing her mind as she kissed Chris. _This is insane, you don't know him, and he's nothing, especially to you. You love Chris. _And as if to prove her point she pushed her lips harder to Chris' and somehow managed to turn them so the positions were switched and he was the one on the wall.

He took that as some sort of sign or something, she wasn't sure exactly how it happened but the next thing she knew she was laying on a bed with Chris on top of her, slipping his hands up her shirt.

_Oh shit. _She hadn't even noticed this was a bedroom when she had come in and now he wanted to… She tore her mouth off his. "Wait Chris. I don't want to do this" She tried to say, but he cut her off at 'don't' with another forceful kiss. "Stop!" she spat trying to push him off as one of his hands started traveling up her skirt. But he wouldn't give up.

"I love you," he murmured again, pushing down on her. Terror welled up at that moment as he kissed her again. She couldn't breathe for a minute, her heart pounding.

She shoved him to the side with all she had and sprung up. "What the hell do you think you're doing! I said no!" She yelled, completely panicked, eyes starting to water as she shook her head in disbelief. _This wasn't supposed to happen!_

"Come on Lor! Don't you think it's about time? God we've been seeing each other forever!" He yelled, getting up as well. "Are you serious! I will when I want to and right now I don't want to! And we've been together forever? A few months is not forever!" She screamed back, still entirely panicked. She was pacing now, trying to clear her head to deal with this.

She had never thought Christopher would try to push her into it and was completely unprepared to handle it. Her head pounded, heart beat wildly, and thoughts swirled as she just fought to gain control. _One step at a time Gilmore, we can work through this. It was no big deal we were just on different pages. He just didn't hear you say wait… or stop. _

She turned to face him so they could talk but suddenly found herself crushed in his arms being kissed again. Her stomach lurched as she struggled free of his firm grip. " Stay away from me!" She cried, the terror she had choked down, fighting its way back up as she backed away from him, towards the door. "You have got to be kidding me!"Chris yelled, walking towards her. "I let you have your little delicate moment of bashfulness. This is getting annoying. What else do you want me to do? I already said I love you!"

That just irked her. "Delicate moment of bashfulness!" She yelled, forgetting how freaked out she was. "You thought that's what that was! That I was just playing with you? You pig! I meant it! And incase you're still not getting it no you're not getting any tonight! Or at least not from me" She screamed furiously. "I… I just need to get out of here. Good night Christopher." She said whirling around and quickly making her exit, ignoring the call of her name that escaped before the door slammed shut behind her.

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"You dog! I just heard and am so jealous! I mean, wow, getting any of these girls is impressive but not good enough for Butch Danes. He has to go for the most popular one!" Davis exclaimed, pounding him on the back. Luke stared at him like he was insane. "What the hell are you talking about?"

"That chick! She's like the most popular girl at this fancy school! Doesn't give most guys the light of day apparently. But of course that's the babe Butch goes for. I shoulda known!" he joked, pounding Luke's back again.

Luke shook his head, trying to get rid of the image of those gorgeous eyes out of his head. " I didn't _go _for her. The stupid girl got in my way and got all bratty. I don't even know the Princess' name and I don't really care." He said convincingly, though the not caring part was a bit of a lie. _I just want to know her name to know who to steer clear of._ He tried to convince himself.

"Oh I heard her name. Can't remember it though. Something exotic that started with an L. Really pretty though." Davis rambled. "But hey I guess it doesn't matter. She's one of the elite anyway, better just stick with what you've got." He added. "But those of us who don't have anyone, the out of our league club calls our name. I'll catch you later." He joked, smiling to a pretty blonde as he said the last bit and then walking off towards her.

_Idiot_ Luke grumbled, walking in the opposite direction.He stepped out onto the patio, joining the crowd surrounding a large pool and looked around, suddenly wishing he hadn't.

There she was, sitting on the end of one of the pool beds, staring serenely into the water, light dancing on her face.

The sight of her took his breath away, even as he berated himself for letting her effect him like that. She who he despised, or tried to at least. He shook his head and thought of Rachel, trying to shadow this mystery girl, but there was no blocking the strange brilliance of her raven curls or piercing eyes, even with Rachel's fiery waves.

He gulped and before he knew it Luke was walking over to her.

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Lorelai was still trying to figure out how to handle what had happened when she was suddenly torn from her circling thoughts by movement to her left. She glanced over to see "Mr. Uninterested" (as she had somehow named him) sitting down on the lounge chair next to her.

_Great, probably the last person I want to see right now. _She grumbled. _Wait. The second… maybe the third. _She rectified, Christopher and her parents mentally lining up before him.

"What is this? Asshole day?" she muttered, rolling her eyes and turning slightly away from him as she took a swig of beer. She tried to ignore the little wave of calm that came with his presence and focus on being annoyed with him, but, not for the first time that night, she was finding difficulty with it.

"Wow you really know how to make a guy feel welcome." He replied to her back, shifting slightly to get comfortable. "And you really can't take a clue." She returned, glancing at him over her shoulder, annoyed. "Look I've had a rough night. I just want to be alone. So please just go." She almost pleaded, suddenly unable to look as him when she said it.

She didn't want to be alone. That had been a pure lie. But something about this guy she couldn't figure out, and that was just not something she needed right now. To add working out who the hell "Mr. Uninterested" was to her list.

"Aww, Princess having to face reality?" He scoffed, grabbing the beer out of her hand and taking a gulp, taking in her shock gleefully. " If you had such a rough night you shouldn't be drowning your sorrows in alcohol. Leave that to those who have had a rough life." He smirked, taking another swallow as the anger lit up her eyes.

" And you're saying I haven't?" she almost laughed, grabbing the bottle from his unsuspecting hands and taking a huge mouthful, as if to prove her point. "Oh, wise and mighty country bumpkin, please fill me in, with all of your infinite knowledge, on the elements that make my life so much better then yours. Because from here it's pretty much hell."

"That, right there." Luke spat grumpily as she drank some more. " You look down on me just because I'm not from around here. And you sure as hell don't appreciate what you have. Come on. You're like Hartford Barbie. You probably get more for a weekly allowance then anyone in my town makes in year, most likely live in a house that has it's own zip code, and go to a school that will pretty much guarantee you an acceptance to any school you want come college time." His brow was furrowed as all of this came out, every feeling he'd held about "her people" spilling out of his mouth without comprehension. "And I bet you've never worked a day in your life while I spend every waking hour working at my father's store, shelving and ringing up hardware till the cows come home, and no I don't mean literally, since we don't have cows, even though you might think that because it's a small town…" he had lost his steam all of a sudden…

Something in her face moved from slight annoyance to deep hurt at the mention of his father and now Luke was left with a sinking feeling in his stomach where the relief had built up as he spit out his annoyances. _What is that about?_ He wondered, staring at her in concern.

"You. Don't. Know. Me." She said slowly and pointedly. "Don't you dare assume that again.

"And as far as my money goes, yeah I'm not exactly sitting in a shack and am not going to be begging anytime soon but not everything is about money." She breathed, holding back her emotions as tears fought to form in the corners of her eyes. "And aren't you a bit of a hippocrit?" she asked coldly. "You yelled at me for looking down on you but did you come here tonight with a glistening opinion of us just because we ARE from around here?" she looked him sharply and saw the acknowledgement written plainly across his face. "Yeah I thought so." She finished. And with that she just stood up and walked off into the dark garden covering the grounds left unoccupied by the partiers for the more interesting pool and deck.

Luke watched her go still trying to figure out how and why what he had said had hurt her. _It's not the job… the hardware store doesn't matter to this girl…_

"Wait!" he yelled after her shrinking silhouette as he ran after her. She didn't slow or stop, but something came over him and he just quickened his pace. "What's the deal with your parents?" he asked, grabbing her arm lightly as he ran in front of her, blocking the path. "I said something about the store and I'm seriously doubting that hardware has really done anything to get that reaction so it must be your dad, or your parents in general. So. Lets here it." He concluded unconfidently.

_This is stupid Danes. She's right. You don't know this girl. Why the hell do you care? Let her deal with her own issues._ She had been silent for awhile when he finally decided to give in. "Look fine, you don't know me, I shouldn't have bothered you. I'll just go… and if it makes it any better, I'm thinking I may have been wrong about you for some reason."

The light made it impossible for him to see her reaction but he could have sworn that he had seen her reach up and wipe a tear from her eye as he stepped around her and headed back towards the lights of the party.

"You know I actually hope this year that my parents will go to Europe for Christmas and leave me here alone." She said, back turned. "That would probably be the best Christmas I've ever had. Just me. No nagging or disappointed looks. No plans, no pretending… it would just be me." She swallowed. Luke's breathe had caught in his throat when she started and he paid no attention to the tightening in his throat. Just listened, giving into the captivation that had been nagging him all night. "

"I could dismiss the servants and order take out and watch tv…" she paused for a minute. "This probably sounds stupid" she half heartedly laughed, rubbing her face and turning around. "It's just hard… I can't make them happy… and god knows I've tried. But there's always something that disappoints them. In everything I do, I'm never good enough for them and they constantly remind me of everything wrong with me… and I certainly can't be myself… not around them or any of their friends… I feel trapped half the time, and the other half I just feel hopeless… and it just keeps getting worse…"

Luke stared at her in disbelief. _Wow._ It was all he could manage to get through his head along with the images of his own family and that unwavering need to make her happy. That last one was the stunner. He had never had such a need and it kind of freaked him out. _I don't even know her damn name and now I want to make her happy? Get a hold on yourself Butch._

"Gah." She sighed, exasperated, sinking down onto a bench. " I don't even know you and here I am dumping all my pathetic little problems on you." she laughed sarcastically. "Good move I'm sure. Just make sure you credit me when you submit the screenplay. I mean this is total Oscar material. Best Drama goes to Tales of a Hartford Screw Up… I can see it now."

She shivered as a cool breeze hit her and before he knew it, Luke had taken the few steps over to the bench and swept his jacket around her shoulders as he sat down beside her. She looked at him awkwardly but snuggled into the jacket. From there they just sat in silence, glancing at each other awkwardly at first, eyes darting at contact. But soon they were lingering… both lost in an inner battle raging between these new desires and bitter reasoning.

The party, still raging in the blinding lights, was long forgotten as he reached for her and lay a gentle kiss on her lips. For a moment it was heaven, some hidden interior force squealed with joy at the contact, sending thrills through both of them. Just that sweet, soft, delicate touch seemed to light their senses ablaze, electricity flowing through every vein in their bodies.

And then it was over. Then Lorelai recoiled. Then she remembered Christopher earlier that night. Then she pushed away. Then she opened her mouth to tell him how horrified she was, how insulting and degrading that whole situation had been… And then… the pit in her stomach formed, and all her grievances were forgotten as she found herself kissing him again, this time much deeper, making her soul seem to fly, the electricity being replaced by an addicting liquid fire. _This is how it should be. _flashed through her mind…And then she couldn't stop herself. Lorelai pulled back, giggling hopelessly, leaving Luke a bit shocked and embarrassed.

"That was such a good kiss." she managed, through her fits, after seeing his face. "You have no clue… how… crappy… my night had been… and then… that… was… amazing."

"Come on that was like world series level kissing there Baseball boy." She smiled, at his silence once she was slightly more calm. "That was the last thing I thought would happen tonight, that I would meet the Connecticut's make-out god after the worst evening of my life… what were that odds of it?"

Luke just stared at her in amazement for a minute. "Did you really just call me Baseball boy?" he asked still just trying to catch up with her sudden energy change. "Naturally Baseball boy is the one you ask about." She laughed sarcastically, plucking the cap from his head and placing it on her own, laughing playfully in the process. "What do you think?" She questioned innocently as she made some dramatic, goofy pose. "All the cool kids are doing it." she smiled.

Even in the dark he could see her eyes sparkling with her joy and before he knew it he had covered the small distance between them and had pulled her toward him, locking her into yet another kiss, feeling her melt in his arms.

As they pulled apart he slipped his cap back off of her head and laughed. "It looked better on me." He joked, attempting the put it back on his. Lorelai was too fast though and flicked it out of his hand before it was snugly on. "Well if you insist on ousting me on my Ms. Baseball Cap I at least should be able to crown the winner." She smirked, flipping it around and putting it on him backwards. "I deem you Mr. Backwards Baseball Cap" she laughed taking in the sight. "Oh my god. You actually look better that way." She laughed, collapsing in giggles again. "No! Leave it!" she commanded as he reached to turn it around again. "I'm serious. It looks good!"

He didn't quite believe her but let it there anyway and found himself hopelessly laughing along with her. As the laughs subsided to snickers and chuckles she collapsed against him and he put his arm around her and that's how they stayed, wrapped in ecstacy, losing track of time, talking and laughing.

"You wouldn't happen to have a pen would you?" She asked out of the blue, looking up as him. "No? What do you need that for?" He asked puzzled. "I was just struck with the urge to perform my mighty pen drum solo of course! I mean it's world renowned. You can't make out with me for a night without hearing it… and wow how long were you going to let me go on? I wanted to give you my number." She laughed sitting up and fumbling on the ground for something. Apparently she had been carrying a purse, or maybe she just had magical powers to pull one out of nowhere but somewhere during his deep laughter she managed to pull out a pen and some kind of notepad. She scribbled on it quickly and then folded it up and waved it held it out for him. "You have here, a lifetime opportunity my friend." she laughed as he reached for it and she took the paper just out of reach. "Not yet." She smiled mischievously, tucking it into the jacket pocket. "Some things are worth waiting for."

And with that she laughed and kissed him, resuming her place with his arm around her, fending off the cold of the night together. They stayed there for god only knows how long, wrapped in ecstacy, completely lost in the moment…

And then reality hit in a fiery red waves.

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_Rachel_.

He saw her standing on the porch obviously looking for someone impatiently. _Looking for me._ It was the last thing he wanted to do but he knew he had to. " I… I've gotta go." He told her reluctantly, taking his arm from around her shoulders. She nodded sadly and without a word he stood up and left her there after one last gaze, each drinking in the other, trying to capture every detail. He walked straight up to the party, to Rachel, fighting the urge to look back, knowing her eyes, her beautiful eyes, were on him to the last.

"Where'd you run off to my hermit?" Rachel laughed, obviously slightly annoyed. "You went off to get a beer and never came back. I'm guessing you're ready to go though?"

He just nodded gruffly and walked past her.

By the time he had sunken onto his bed he had broken up with Rachel and fell asleep that night lost in those blue eyes. The eyes of the girl who's name he had never learned, who had rocked his world in one night and who he would never see again.

He had left the jacket, with that mystery paper in it's pocket, safely draped around her shoulders.

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Luke smiled at the memory and looked in the pocket. Folded up inside was a small scrap of Hello Kitty paper with "Her Supreme Majesty Princess Lorelai Gilmore, the Hartford Screw Up" scrawled beautifully with the Gilmore's current number clearly written below along with a short message to "call me sometime Mr. Backwards baseball cap."

_It took me years but I finally did._ He laughed as it joined the horoscope in his wallet, the sound of 16 year old Lorelai saying "Some things are worth waiting for" following him out of the attic.


End file.
